Ashers Mine (Lignite Pit Cafe and Garden), Ashers, Southland District, Southland Region, South Island, New Zealand
| Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): | 46° 28' 4'' South , 168° 39' 31'' East |
|---|---|
| Latitude & Longitude (decimal): | -46.46787,168.65879 |
| Köppen climate type: | Cfb : Temperate oceanic climate |
The coal mine was the first open cast (open pit) mine in Southland, opened in 1904, by Fred Bowen. Coal was railed to Invercargill for local domestic use. A major fire in the area caused the lignite to catch alight, and the pit needed to be flooded then de-watered. The fire also destroyed several houses, and five operating sawmills.
In the 1930's, mining went underground via a tunnel from the pit. Bill Monk purchased the mine in the late 1940's, and mining went back to open cast. Later Bill Holland took over the mine, until it became unprofitable by 1971 and closed.
The site was abandoned for thirty years. Dave and Maria Sanderson started a rehabilitation project in 2004, clearing rubbish from the pit, and planting a garden surrounding it. The site was later taken over by Barry and Maree Keen.
The site is now a tourist attraction, featuring the gardens, café, and camping area. The pit forms a lake, but lignite seams can still be seen. An estimated 740 million tonnes of recoverable lignite remains in the area.
Mineral List
Rock Types Recorded
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This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found.
Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org
| Quaternary 0 - 2.588 Ma ID: 3191171 | Cenozoic sedimentary rocks Age: Pleistocene (0 - 2.588 Ma) Lithology: Conglomerate,gravel Reference: Chorlton, L.B. Generalized geology of the world: bedrock domains and major faults in GIS format: a small-scale world geology map with an extended geological attribute database. doi: 10.4095/223767. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5529. [154] |
| Pleistocene 0.0117 - 2.588 Ma ID: 1311811 | Middle Quaternary alluvium and colluvium Age: Pleistocene (0.0117 - 2.588 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Pakihi Supergroup Description: Weathered gravel, sand, silt and mud of alluvial and colluvial origin. Comments: Zealandia Megasequence Terrestrial and Shallow Marine Sedimentary Rocks (Neogene) Lithology: Gravel, sand, silt, mud Reference: Edbrooke, S.W., Heron, D.W., Forsyth, P.J., Jongens, R. (compilers). Geology Map of New Zealand 1:1 000 000. GNS Science Geological Map 2. [12] |
| Langhian - Chattian 13.82 - 28.1 Ma ID: 1357078 | Gore Lignite Measures sandstone (East Southland Group) Age: Cenozoic (13.82 - 28.1 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Gore Lignite Measures Description: Sandstone with lignite and carbonaceous mudstone; mudstone; claystone and minor conglomerate. Comments: Neogene sedimentary rocks. Age based on palynology, micropaleontology Lithology: Major:: {sandstone},Minor:: {lignite, claystone, mudstone, conglomerate} Reference: Heron, D.W. . Geology Map of New Zealand 1:250 000. GNS Science Geological Map 1. [13] |
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